• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.9
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• pp.67-87
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• 1969

1. Objectives and Importance. Many silkworms have been damaged by nuclear polyhedrosis virus diseases thoughout the country every year causing a decease in cocoon production by approximately ten per cent per year. The damage caused by the infections virus has occured in spite of complete disinfection. In this respect, it is well known it is impossible, at the present time, to protect the silkworm from these virus infections through chemical and physical control methods. Therefore, this author has attempted to solve this urgent problem from the view point of heredity and breeding, discovering the different resistances and heritabilities among 120 stains collected from throughout the country, and selecting the ones with highest resistance for the basic materials in the silkworm breeding. 2. Results of work 1) The strains with strong resistance to the nuclear polyhedrosis virus diseases are N$_4$, N$\sub$15/, N$\sub$48/, C$\sub$55/ and Em. the log ED$\sub$50/ values of them vary between 0.799 and 1.611. The susceptible strains are N$\sub$20/, C$\sub$62/, N$\sub$76/, N$\sub$79/ and C$\sub$108/, the log ED$\sub$50/ values of them vary between 5.159 and 7.258. (Reference Table 4) The Japanese strain with a log ED$\sub$50/, value of 3.770 is the strongest, followed by the Chinese strain with a log ED$\sub$50/ value of 3.564. The weakest is the European strain with a log ED$\sub$50/ value of 3.3381. The direction coefficient of the regression equation of the susceptibility varies between 0.1 and 0.6, the uniformness of the resistance of the preserved strains of this country is comparatively low. The hereditary henomena of the resistance of each strain and the conerete method of its application for silkworm breeding main the subjects for later studies. 2) The content of water and ash in silkworm has not been correlated with the capability for resistance to the virus diseases(Reference. Table 8). but it is very significantly correlated with mortality rate (in common reaning). In the case of the silkworms which have just completed the fourth moulting the content of water and ash is not related to the mortality rate. In the case of the silkworms which have just completed the third moulting, however, the water( +0.326) and ash (+0.362) registered a high significance. The ash content in the first ($\div$0.520) and second ($\div$0.386) moults is highly significant but water content in both cases is not significant (Reference Table 7). 3) The No. 205 strain proved to be the best in character among the various F$_1$ hybrids. No. 204 was very good in strength but a little lower in cocoon character than the control. No. 212 was a little low in coccon character and mortality was average, but the cocoon harvest was the best among all the varieties offered for (Reference Table 9). 4), In short, the above mentioned strains which are known to have strong resistance to the virus disease are expected to provide basic data for breeding strong varieties. It is proposed that continued research should be conducted on the characteristics of various strains for a satisfactory preservation of various characteristics.research should be conducted on the characteristics of various strains for a satisfactory preservation of various characteristics.